The present invention relates to an improved cervical collar or brace. In general, cervical collars or braces are worn to correct or ease discomfort from spinal injuries, particularly spinal injuries in the area of the neck vertebrae. In particular, cervical braces are commonly used to rectify any spinal damage caused as a result of whiplash injury.
There are a number of types of such braces. For example, one type comprises a relatively stiff collar worn around the neck, which extends between the shoulders and the jawbone and chin of the wearer. While such collars do give a certain amount of support, they do not provide for adjustment to accommodate varying lengths of different people's necks. Thus, on some they may be relatively comfortable, while on others they can cause considerable discomfort. For example, in the case of an individual with a relatively short neck, such a collar may cause the chin to be retained at a totally incorrect angle. Further, for an individual with a relatively long neck, the chin may also be supported at the wrong angle. A further problem with such collars is that they are clearly visible for all to see and, in general, are relatively unsightly. Furthermore, because they are worn completely around the neck, there is very little circulation of air between the collar and the neck. Accordingly, they tend to induce perspiration in the neck area which further leads to discomfort.
Various attempts have been made to overcome the problems of such collars. Examples of such attempts are given in the following patent specifications, namely, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,724,452, 3,945,376, 4,383,523 and 4,628,913, and UK Patent No. 2,233,900. In general, these cervical braces comprise a harness for mounting on the torso of the body, and a chin support member for supporting the chin of the wearer. The chin support member is mounted on a support bar which is adjustable upwardly and downwardly to accommodate wearers with different lengths of neck. However, while these devices partly overcome the problems of stiff collars in that at least the height at which the wearer's chin is supported can be adjusted, nonetheless they do not provide for the different positions which individuals chins may take up, in other words, the position of a wearer's chin front to back. Accordingly, while the chin supports may be adjusted to accommodate different heights of chins, this does not ensure that the chin support will accurately or correctly engage the wearer's chin. For example, if a wearer has a chin which projects more than normally, or a wearer has a chin which projects less than normally, then the chin support will not adequately support the wearer's chin.
Another known device is the "halo" brace. Such a device also has a harness for mounting on the torso and upright members which extend to the top of the wearer's head. A "halo" or ring is attached to the upright members which encircles the head in the forehead area. Four equally-spaced adjusting screws are installed in the halo and screwed toward the wearer's head. Depressions are made in the skull to receive the adjusting screws. The screws are tightened so as to restrict movement of the head and neck. However, the device is not very effective and, in addition, is bulky and unsightly. Furthermore, problems can develop with a single skull depression requiring total refitting of the device.
An improved cervical brace is described in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,334 (the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto). This device overcame some of the problems with cervical braces, namely, the chin support member was adjustable both up and down, as well as front to back. However, the chin support member in this device was not comfortable as it "clamped" onto the wearer's chin. In addition, although a support is provided for the wearer's occiput, it is not sufficiently adjustable. Furthermore, the two-point support member for the chin support is not stable, i.e., it is flexible in the left-right direction. In addition, it has a complex harness assembly and requires changing the settings to remove the device.
In addition, a cervical collar is disclosed in Arch Phys. Med. Rehabil., Vol. 73, December 1992, p. 573-575, made of rigid polythene, anatomically shaped with a cut out piece anterolaterally for ventilation. An anterior screw allows adjustment in length to variable neck height and the posterior Velcro.RTM. fastening allows adaptation to embrace all neck diameters. However, the device does not afford sufficient combinations of adjustability, rigidity (i.e., immobility) and ventilation for the purposes presently proposed.
In my prior patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,482 (the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto), a cervical brace is disclosed which utilizes the advantages found in my earlier U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,334, and overcomes the deficiencies in the aforementioned prior art. This patented cervical brace comprises a torso engaging member having a back portion and a front portion. The front portion in use being adjacent to the front of the torso and the rear portion, in use, being adjacent to the back of the torso. A chin support member is provided for engaging and supporting the chin of the wearer, together with mounting means including an adjustable and releasable strut and brace assembly for mounting the chin support member to the torso engaging member so that the chin support member is easily adjustable and is movable upwardly and downwardly in addition to backwardly and forwardly relative to the torso engaging member for accommodating, in use, different positions of a wearer's chin.
In my further prior patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,535 (the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto), a further improved cervical brace is disclosed which includes a generally annular support brace which, in use, is receivable about and circumferentially surrounds a wearer's neck and is generally supportable on the wearer's shoulders and upper torso. The support brace includes a pair of vertically-spaced-apart, interconnected and generally horizontally-disposed, arcuate, upper and lower support members each having a front central portion and a pair of rear opposite terminal end portions which, in use, are disposed generally adjacent to the front and rear of the wearer's neck, respectively, and adjustable and releasable rear strap means for joining said terminal end portions of said support members together. Chin support means are provided for engaging and supporting the chin of the wearer, as well as mounting means for adjustably mounting the chin support means on the support brace. This collar is extremely satisfactory in use and offers greater latitude in its adjustability to fit the particular wearer.
The present invention is directed toward an improvement of such cervical braces or collars.